This Week in the Bronx - Week 15

A Blog By Brett

It's a short week this week, coming out of the All-Star break. Always good to get a series win, but the Yankees are still trailing the Blue Jays by three games in the division. This deadline is going to be super interesting and not just for New York. There are so many teams that can be buyers this year.

As for New York’s deadline, New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman has his work cut out for him. The Yankees can 100% win a World Series trophy in 2025 by adding the right pieces at the deadline. The question is, who are those pieces, and how do they acquire them without moving their most coveted farm talent?

Series 1: Atlanta Braves (Away)

Game 1: L 7-3 | Game 2: W 12-9 | Game 3: W 4-2

It is understood that the bullpen needs much-needed reinforcements for a playoff run, but I can’t help but think that adding another starter is just as critical. The good news here is that bullpen additions will not cost Cashman and the Yankees organization the prospect assets that a frontline starter or impact bat would cost.

Adding a few impact arms can be game-changing for this team, especially if the Yankees can add a back-end starter at a lower prospect cost and a few relievers to bolster the bullpen for a playoff run.

Yankees Pitching Deadline Targets I Would Be Interested In:

1. Sandy Alcantara (RHP - Miami Marlins) {Starter} → I know, unlikely

2. Mitch Keller RHP (RHP - Pittsburgh Pirates) {Starter}

3. Andrew Heaney (LHP - Pittsburgh Pirates) {Starter}

4. Seth Lugo RHP (RHP - Kansas City Royals) {Starter}

5. Jeffrey Springs (LHP - Athletics) {Starter}

6. Edward Cabrera (RHP - Miami Marlins) {Starter}

7. Merrill Kelly (RHP - Arizona Diamondbacks) {Starter}

8. Jhoan Duran (RHP - Minnesota Twins) {Reliever}

9. David Bednar (RHP - Pittsburgh Pirates) {Reliever}

10. Felix Bautista (RHP - Baltimore Orioles) {Reliever}

11. Cade Smith (RHP - Cleveland Guardians) {Reliever}

12. Griffin Jax (RHP - Minnesota Twins) {Reliever}

Again, as mentioned previously in this weekly Yankees series, I want the Yankees to get aggressive at the deadline. What I don’t want to see is move the club's top prospects for aging veterans who only have a year or so left. That being said, Sandy Alcantara is the one player I could live with trading a top asset for, but even then, the Yankees will likely be outbid as their tradeable prospects that would draw interest are limited, and a team with more farm depth can easily outbid them.

Arms to Highlight Across the Past Week:

Marcus Stroman —> 6 IP | 4 K | 1.50 ERA | 1 QS | 0.83 WHIP

JT Brubaker —> 3 IP | 4 K | 0.00 ERA | 0.33 WHIP

Luke Weaver —> 1.2 IP | 2 K | 0.00 ERA | 1 W | 0.60 WHIP

Notable Team Cumulative Pitching Statistics Thru 7/20:

+ 1st in H (738)

+ 5th in SO (882)

- 15th in QS (36)

- 15th in ERA (3.90)

It is crunch time for the Yankees. It has been repeated again and again that they need an impact bat desperately at the deadline—ideally, someone who can play third base. Two names keep popping up as ideal trade candidates: Eugenio Suarez and Nolan Arenado.

Eugenio Suarez is the gold standard for bats likely to be moved at the deadline. The issue is the prospect capital required to make a move for Suarez. As much as the Yankees could use his services, he is thirty-four years old and is an unrestricted free agent after the season.

I would love Suarez for this team, but the cost might outweigh the benefits. Adding Suarez makes the Yankees a legit contender for a World Series this year, but this move would not put the Yankees “over the top.” Nolan Arenado makes more sense as he will not cost the Yankees as much to acquire, but can deliver a jolt to the lineup upon arrival. The issue with Arenado is that we don’t know if the Cardinals will be sellers and if they will move Arenado.

Bats to Highlight Across The Past Week:

Giancarlo Stanton —> 0 HR | 2 RBI | .625 BA | 3 R | 3 BB | 1.477 OPS

Anthony Volpe —> 2 HR | 4 RBI | .273 BA | 2 R | 1 BB | 1.126 OPS

Trent Grisham —> 1 HR | 2 R | .375 BA | 1.375 OPS

Notable Team Cumulative Hitting Statistics Thru 7/20:

+ 4th in AVG (.256)

+ 1st in BB (385)

+ 3rd in R (520)

- 9th in SO (864)

The Yankees have a critical series this week against American League rival, the Toronto Blue Jays, and then square off against the Philadelphia Phillies. This can be a massive week for the Yankees if they take advantage of their opportunity in Toronto to take down the surging Blue Jays.

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